Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla (1994)

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Terasawa
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Re: Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla (1994)

Post by Terasawa »

eabaker wrote:
Terasawa wrote:It seems that most of the cuts affect the Project T subplot
Considering that the first human we see in the movie is Dr. Okubo, who is given a pretty dramatic reveal, it really feels like his character/storyline was supposed to be a lot more than the sloppy, minor late-second-act complication that it ended up as.

My first copy of this movie was a VHS boot with BITC of a version that I believe was slightly longer than the release. Unfortunately, I only watched it a couple of times before getting a subbed boot of the finished version, and I have no memory of what additions might have been in there (it can't have been anything too noteworthy, probably just bits that were tightened here and there). I wish I knew what happened to that tape...
That could be very valuable if you ever find it! The making of special on the Blu-ray has some deleted scenes, but it's all from the SFX unit. Disappointingly, it doesn't even include some of the more interesting deleted content, like Godzilla's attempt to free LittleGodzilla from the crystal prison.
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Re: Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla (1994)

Post by eabaker »

Terasawa wrote:
eabaker wrote:
Terasawa wrote:It seems that most of the cuts affect the Project T subplot
Considering that the first human we see in the movie is Dr. Okubo, who is given a pretty dramatic reveal, it really feels like his character/storyline was supposed to be a lot more than the sloppy, minor late-second-act complication that it ended up as.

My first copy of this movie was a VHS boot with BITC of a version that I believe was slightly longer than the release. Unfortunately, I only watched it a couple of times before getting a subbed boot of the finished version, and I have no memory of what additions might have been in there (it can't have been anything too noteworthy, probably just bits that were tightened here and there). I wish I knew what happened to that tape...
That could be very valuable if you ever find it! The making of special on the Blu-ray has some deleted scenes, but it's all from the SFX unit. Disappointingly, it doesn't even include some of the more interesting deleted content, like Godzilla's attempt to free LittleGodzilla from the crystal prison.
Fingers crossed that it didn't disappear in one of the 4 times I've moved since then...
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Re: Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla (1994)

Post by LSD Jellyfish »

I'm surprised they kept the shot of Godzilla moving through the trees, but axed Godzilla trying to save Little Godzilla.

There's a brief moment where Godzilla is shown moving through some trees, and while Godzilla is still pretty big, it's a complete failure of scale in that moment.
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Re: Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla (1994)

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LSD Jellyfish wrote:I'm surprised they kept the shot of Godzilla moving through the trees, but axed Godzilla trying to save Little Godzilla.

There's a brief moment where Godzilla is shown moving through some trees, and while Godzilla is still pretty big, it's a complete failure of scale in that moment.
I'm currently in the midst of watching the movie, and was thinking of coming on here to bring up that shot. It's always bugged me.
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Re: Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla (1994)

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Terasawa wrote:Ed hasn’t been active for about two months. Hope he’s doing all right.
I'm allright now. I had computer problems, hence the period of inactivity. I am back however.
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Re: Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla (1994)

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I may be late to the discussion but I'd like to convey this highly important message in regards to the film:
Little Godzilla is the cutest, most absolutely adorable-est little monster to bless this goddam PLANET


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Somebody call an ambulance b/c my heart is melting!!!! :oops:

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Look at him trying his best to be like his father aww, bless. <3
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Re: Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla (1994)

Post by GodzillavsRayquaza »

This is the worst Godzilla movie. Flat, absolutely un-engaging characters, unfocused and drawn out plot, cheap looking effects, and boring kaiju fights. Every flaw the 90s Godzilla movies have is in this movie and is amplified to 11, without any of the good things about the other 90s movies to let one look past the issues.

SpaceGodzilla and Heisei Moguera themselves are cool, but other media uses them a hundred times better than they’re used here.
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Re: Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla (1994)

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GodzillavsRayquaza wrote:Every flaw the 90s Godzilla movies have is in this movie and is amplified to 11,without any of the good things about the other 90s movies to let one look past the issues.
I agree with the first part but can't agree with the highlighted statement. At the bare minimum, I think the photography is better than in the neighboring Godzilla movies.

For some reason, Toho alternated cinematographers across the five '90s Godzilla movies (it seems that the producers chose the DPs, not the director for each film). Yoshinori Sekiguchi shot Godzilla vs King Ghidorah, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II and Godzilla vs Destoroyah, while Masahiro Kishimoto shot Godzilla vs Mothra and Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla. IMO, in general, Kishimoto's photography is far more arresting than Sekiguchi's. Kishimoto also lensed three of the Millennium movies, but GvSG is his best work in the Heisei Godzilla Series.
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Re: Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla (1994)

Post by H-Man »

UltramanGoji wrote:I’m curious why this one constantly ranks at the bottom of the series for others. I watched it today and it’s...really not that bad?

Bad effects? Well no, not really. The so-called “styrofoam asteroids” don’t even look like styrofoam and when you’re focused on the actions of SpaceG and Mogera, you don’t really pay attention to them. The rest of the film features pretty standard Heisei-era effects, nothing I can particularly call out as bad.

Bad characters? Again, not really. This might be the best movie for Miki Saegusa as she actually feels like a protagonist in this one (until Act 3) and the others are pretty alright as well. Yuki’s the standout, he’s got a solid arc (wonder how many people will get mad at that word being used) throughout the film and Akira Emoto does a good job in the role. Koji, though not the most interesting, is still not too bad to watch. Same goes for Kiyoshi, Chinatsu, and even the members of the UNGCC.

Bad story? Aside from the random Yakuza plot that I’ll agree has no relevance to the rest of the film, I don’t see what’s so bad. SpaceGodzilla’s origins might be a bit convoluted but he’s at least a monster with some personality and an interesting goal that we haven’t really seen from other space monsters before (colonizing the planet). I also really like the continuation of the psychic link between Miki and Godzilla and the subtle hints towards Godzilla's fate in the next movie.

Bad music? Well, not only do I disagree but I don’t think that’s really something to hate an entire movie over.

So yeah, chalk me down as one of the new fans of this one. I think it’s pretty fun.
I was a huge fan of this when I was a teenager. When I revisited it a couple of years back, the magic had worn away. Then watching it with my 12-year-old daughter and listening to her fawn over Little Godzilla and call the finale "epic" warmed up the child inside.

I think the sound effects in space where more jarring than the asteroids themselves. People complain about the plastic crystals in Fukuoka, but whenever a miniature exploded on that set, I thought it was awesome.

The origin of Space Godzilla is a little bizarre, although it's appropriate that it would treated without any degree of complete certainty. With regards to the "science" of it, the last time I watched the film, my mind criticized it because to think that Biollante (I'll use his origin) could fly to the center of the galaxy, into a black hole, come out the other side and fly back to Earth in 5 years really taxed my willingness to suspend disbelief. But then, once could assume that it took dozens, if not hundreds of years for it to reach the black hole, but came out the white hole some time before the events of the film, giving it enough time. Sort of a head canon, I guess.

I love the music as well. I had the soundtrack on CD at one point. I wonder if it was Hattori's decision to play the music so low in the film itself, but I like the compositions.

I like the characters as well and Miki seems to progress well in her powers. She's now the Jean Grey of the Godzilla Universe.

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Re: Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla (1994)

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Mind if I give a few suggestions as to improve this film, in terms of the execution of ideas and dialogue? First of all, I would make it clear from the very start that Okubo is in cahoots with the Yakuza with a scene in which he contacts his cohorts through a phone call and discuss how their plan to sabotage Project T and abduct Miki will play out. Later on, when he is explaining his plan to the captured Miki, instead of saying “Destruction, that’s what Godzilla’s all about” he could say “If I use you to control Godzilla, the Yakuza will be unstoppable and the whole country will be subject to our every whim”.

I will also make attempts to fix Miki’s attitude regarding Project T. In the film she comes across as over-biased and self-centered towards everyone else when debating how to handle the operation. This is very out of character with her, so I would make her try to reason with people in a more civil manner.

Anyways, those are my ideas. What else would you do to fix the film, other than in the obvious SFX department?

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Re: Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla (1994)

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LegendZilla wrote: Thu Feb 18, 2021 2:00 am Mind if I give a few suggestions as to improve this film, in terms of the execution of ideas and dialogue? First of all, I would make it clear from the very start that Okubo is in cahoots with the Yakuza with a scene in which he contacts his cohorts through a phone call and discuss how their plan to sabotage Project T and abduct Miki will play out.
Doesn't this destroy the tension by IMMEDIATELY letting us know what is happening? It also makes it seem like there's more to his plan since we're revealing it all but there's not. We haven't fixed the lack of payoff, we've only made it WORSE.
Later on, when he is explaining his plan to the captured Miki, instead of saying “Destruction, that’s what Godzilla’s all about” he could say “If I use you to control Godzilla, the Yakuza will be unstoppable and the whole country will be subject to our every whim”.
......That's what he was saying?

He just didn't say it specifically.
I will also make attempts to fix Miki’s attitude regarding Project T. In the film she comes across as over-biased and self-centered towards everyone else when debating how to handle the operation. This is very out of character with her, so I would make her try to reason with people in a more civil manner.
Is it? Miki's whole character arc in the Heisei era is standing up for Godzilla due to their connection when no one else will. It makes sense for her to be upset and fight back, and not suddenly be a demure person who agrees.

Self centered nature, yeah, you could argue that, but that's what she likes

also Miki is always a pushover, especially in that film when the hell is she being arrogant lmaoo
Anyways, those are my ideas. What else would you do to fix the film, other than in the obvious SFX department?
* Yuki is conflicted thought the movie on whether what he's doing is right or not, tying into the theme of "is Godzilla sympathetic?" He could change his mind during the Moguera piloting and decide he has to kill Godzilla, only to change again during the battle because he sympathizes with the way Godzilla is being attacked or hears Little crying or something. In other words, keep the arc but explain it better.

* Project T can be the main plan, with Moguera a secret plan in case it doesn't work.

* Cut the Yakuza plot altogether.

* Spacegodzilla. He's an interesting antagonist but he's always felt kinda half baked to me. Like, there's only the vague "he's smart and evil" motivation in the film. We could make him much better. An idea I came up with is make the Spacegodzilla is a Godzilla clone more explicit. Instead of coming to Earth for vague evil reasons, Spacegodzilla is aware he is a Godzilla and wants to take his own territory by driving out Godzilla. His crystal fortress in Fukouka is his new territory, his own form of Birth Island. This can also provide a more sinister reason for kidnapping Little Godzilla too, then just luring Godzilla. After all, we all know what male lions do to the young when they take over a territory…

* Instead of trying to fight Spacegodzilla, G-Force wants him to confront Godzilla in the hopes he can kill Godzilla, not caring what he'll do. This keeps the theme kept in GVMG2 and GVD that G-Force are pretty morally questionable in killing Godzilla.

*Similar to the manga, Yuki and the others steal Moguera, except this time to confront Spacegodzilla with Godzilla.
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Re: Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla (1994)

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SoggyNoodles2016 wrote: Thu Feb 18, 2021 11:24 am
LegendZilla wrote: Thu Feb 18, 2021 2:00 am Mind if I give a few suggestions as to improve this film, in terms of the execution of ideas and dialogue? First of all, I would make it clear from the very start that Okubo is in cahoots with the Yakuza with a scene in which he contacts his cohorts through a phone call and discuss how their plan to sabotage Project T and abduct Miki will play out.
Would it have been tolerable if they built it up over time with subtle hints and clues that something might be off about Okubo?

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Re: Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla (1994)

Post by edgaguirus »

Spacegodzilla is probably the best thing about the movie. It's another Godzilla based kaiju, but it has an interesting visual appeal and is one of the more evil monsters Godzilla has faced.
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Re: Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla (1994)

Post by Tyrant_Lizard_King »

My dad was watching some Japanese/American movie based on a series of novels, about a biracial assassin, that had Gary Oldman in it. On of the lead characters was this older Japanese dude and I was like "I know this old guy from something". Looked up the cast and it was frickin Yuki from Space Godzilla. Kinda got a good laugh out of that.
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Re: Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla (1994)

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Fun fact, the suits used for the movie are actually still around! SpaceGodzilla actually looks pretty good still.. Godzilla and Little Godzilla on the other hand-
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Re: Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla (1994)

Post by CrimsonBloodX »

Gigantis wrote: Mon Jul 05, 2021 5:23 pm Fun fact, the suits used for the movie are actually still around! SpaceGodzilla actually looks pretty good still.. Godzilla and Little Godzilla on the other hand-
Image
The way Godzilla and Little Godzilla are looking at each other cracks me up.
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Re: Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla (1994)

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SG looks great, but Godzilla's head hasn't faired to well over time.
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Re: Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla (1994)

Post by Terasawa »

I wonder if Godzilla's strange appearance is because the mechanical "skull" might have been removed at some point.
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Re: Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla (1994)

Post by Major sssspielberg! »

Spacegodzilla was probably given some touch-ups for Kawakita's panchinko short movies.
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positive feedback for kensho yamashita as a director?

Post by gfan84 »

While kensho yamashita isnt one of my top 3 favorite directors I thought I would start a topic about him. I thought to do so because I think godzilla vs. spacegodzilla gets way too much hate. I think he did pretty good. Anybody who sees this feel free to share some postitive feedback.

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